Palladium Books® Weekly Update – June 20, 2015

By Kevin Siembieda

This week has been another non-stop work marathon with things moving forward on many fronts. Getting a lot accomplished, but never enough.

UPDATE: Robotech®: The Expeditionary Force Marines™ – July release

I have focused much of my attention this week on Expeditionary Force Marines™. Writing, editing, coordinating artwork, getting input and approval from Harmony Gold. Art directing had me working closely with many of the artists by email, by phone and in person. A large number of concept sketches for aliens and mecha have been created and submitted to Harmony Gold. I’m happy to say that HG has been on top of things and getting back to us with fast approvals or valuable suggestions and changes. Many of the new mecha designs are damn cool and I can already imagine them as game pieces for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ down the road. Art has been coming in from Allen Manning, Brian Manning, Chuck Walton, Ben Rodriguez and Michael Wilson. All doing a fine job.

Meanwhile, I’ve been working on the final edit and all manner of things for Robotech® and Rifts®, and other business matters. As soon as the finished artwork is in and approved, Expeditionary Force Marines™ gets typeset, laid out and sent to the printer. Definitely a July release!

UPDATE: Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ – July release

When not working on Robotech® this week, I’ve been working on Chaos Earth® Resurrection™ (among other things). This is another great book. Author Taylor White has done some excellent work that you will either love or find terrifying, or both. There is some truly scary and weird stuff in this book. Can you hear the Transmission? Yes? That’s not good. You’ll see why soon in this July release! And it has uses beyond the Chaos Earth® setting.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #71

Oh man, we need to do more work on this issue!

UPDATE: Robotech® RPG Tactics™

We continue to go over and fine tune the stats, point costs and rules with Carmen Bellaire for the Robotech® RPG Tactics™Convention Exclusives (Malcontent Grell is one tough hombre), and the RRT Earth Defender packs. The Micronian Infantry, main battle tank, aircraft, and other vehicles all bring a new dimension to the Macross Saga combat setting. I thought Carmen did an especially nice job with the diversity of infantry troops. You’ll get to see this material in the next few days. The Grell Malcontent card is included here, in the online store description and on DriveThruRPG. We’ll also put it up in a Kickstarter Update (but in the meantime, make sure you backers vote in the Poll about 6mm or 15mm). Force Organization Charts are coming in a few days and more for RRT will be presented next week.

Gen Con Indy is only 6 weeks away and we’re getting excited. Thanks to the efforts of our Megaversal Ambassadors, Palladium Books has earned Premium Event status. There are 50+ gaming events for various Palladium games including Robotech® RPG Tactics™, and our booth will be packed with exciting products to sell and Palladium creators to chat with and sign your books.

Yep, we’ll be at Gen Con with all kinds of products, including 5 RRT Convention Exclusives, Robotech® The Expeditionary Force Marines™, Chaos Earth® Resurrection™, original art, prints and other good stuff. And because 2015 is the 30th anniversary of Robotech® and the 25th anniversary of Rifts®, we have a pair of coupons in the Gen Con® Coupon Book that should blow some minds. We are pulling out all the stops. (We’ll also be making some special offers available online to celebrate these two landmark anniversaries as well.)

Convention Exclusives at Gen Con® Indy – Booth 1129

NEW! Breetai ready for combat. This is Commander Breetai in a suit of Zentraedi Heavy Body Armor. His right hand opened enough to place a weapon, Micronian or the severed head of a Valkyrie or other bit of wreckage; 1/285th scale (6mm). $22

All these convention exclusives will be available at Gen Con® Indy to ANYONE on a first-come, first-served basis. Each is metal/pewter, 1/285th scale (6mm). REMINDER: RRT Kickstarter backers, however, can pre-order them from the comfort of their home and in any quantity (no limit) and have them shipped right to their doorstep. NOTE: We would like to get pre-orders from our RRT Kickstarter backers by July 15, 2015.

For instructions on how to order the exclusives (sorry, RRT Kickstarter backers only), click here.

We will be posting the stats and point costs for the Earth Defenders blister packs in a few days. The Earth Defenders blister packs expand the scope of combat, strategies and tactics, and are ideal for gamers looking to play the Malcontents faction or who want to bring Micronian troops into play on any battlefield. Note: None of this has any negative impact on Palladium finishing and manufacturing RRT Wave Two, but does plenty to enhance your battlefield options with your current game pieces.

Reminder: Palladium is taking pre-orders from Kickstarter backers for the convention exclusives (with no limit on quantity) and the six Earth Defender Blister Packs online, now through July 15, 2015. When we make these Earth Defenders available at retail in the Fall, they will probably sell at a retail price of around $12 or so per blister pack.

For instructions on how to order the Earth Defender Packs now (sorry, RRT Kickstarter backers only), click here.

What’s next? The Comanchero Helicopter and combat vehicles like the Cat’s Eye Recon and other Macross war machines. We had initially included the Comanchero Helicopter as one of the items our Kickstarter backers could pre-order along with the six listed above. However, after further discussion involving its development we realized we could not, at this time, pinpoint a specific date of release or its true cost, so we have decided to remove it from the schedule until we can verify all the details and get a good handle on a realistic release date. So while the Comanchero Helicopter will be in development, it will no longer be available for pre-order for the time being. Those initial few who were charged for that item will be contacted to arrange the refund of that portion of their orders.

UPDATE: George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead comic book series – Kickstarter ENDS in 14 days – by Double Take — Doubletakeuniverse.com

Some people have asked me if Double Take is going to specialize in horror comics. The answer is no.

They are starting off with ten comics inspired by George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, but after that, they have a wide rage of wildly diverse comic books covering many genres. Those should appear early next year and will include superheroes, science fiction and some really experimental concepts. That’s one of the things I find exciting about this new comic company, they are willing to experiment and try new approaches to comics. It doesn’t hurt that they have Bill Jemas, the former executive vice president of Marvel Comics, to help write and develop some of these titles.

That’s why you should snap up the $10 Super Pack that gets you ALL TEN ISSUE #1s for only ten bucks. I ordered mine. What do you have to lose? A lousy $10 for ten comic books that could skyrocket in value if Double Take becomes the next big comic company. And if it doesn’t, you still get the enjoyment of reading those 10 comic books at a discount price. What does one comic cost these days? $2.99-$3.99, right? You get 10 for the cost of three. Well worth the investment.

I suspect a lot of people have not yet heard about Double Take and their George Romero inspired zombie comic book series. That really puts us at the forefront of this company’s launch. Talk about a unique opportunity. Seriously, and tell your friends, especially your pals who buy or collect comic books. I think it’s cool that Double Take is offering these items at such a low price too. That’s my two cents. I feel like an insider trader with a valuable stock tip. Take advantage of it.

You can get the $10 Super Pack via their Kicksarter. ONLY 14 DAYS LEFT!

Palladium Fantasy RPG® Paper Miniatures – Volumes #1-6 are available now. More are coming in the weeks ahead.

The Rifter® issues #1-62 – available now – more coming.

100+ Palladium titles available now as PDF downloads with more coming.

Game Master Kits, maps and more – Available now.

Much more to come in the months ahead.

Palladium continues to make new PDF game titles available as well as provide FREE support to Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and other Palladium game lines with supplemental material. And this is just the beginning. So far, that includes some RRT game cards, the massive mecha painting/color design templates (more than 100 images in color and black and white – and an awesome resource for any Robotech fan), and some detailed assembly instructions, with MUCH more coming. We have big plans for Robotech® RPG Tactics™ and other Palladium game lines.

We’ll be adding several dozen Rifts® titles and other new material to DriveThruRPG.com over the next few months, so keep your eyes open for them. DriveThruRPG.com already offers 100+ Palladium Books products available as PDFs with more to be made available soon. They currently include free items, previews and book titles like the Coalition Wars®/Siege on Tolkeen™ series, Splicers® RPG, The Rifter® issues #1-62 (with more to come), and first edition rules of the Rifts® RPG, Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, Heroes Unlimited™ RPG, The Palladium Fantasy RPG®, and related 1st edition sourcebooks for each. And more! Like what? Like Fantasy Paper Miniatures and Game Master Kits for digital download. They are available only as PDF files and were designed special to help you run your games and build campaigns. There are also sneak previews of books and other good stuff. Check it out! And let other gamers know they are available too. We’ll be making more available on DriveThruRPG in the weeks and months to come, so take a look on a regular basis.

Closing thoughts

We are working to get new products into your hands – Rifts®, Robotech®, Chaos Earth®, Splicers®,Robotech® RPG Tactics™Wave 2, etc. In fact, Alex, Wayne and I are working through the weekend. Yes, even on Father’s Day. Keep the faith. Good stuff is coming.

Fewer than 20 copies of the RAW preview remain available! Get ‘em while you still can! Sold on a first-come, first-served basis. This is the “raw,” sneak preview of two upcoming Rifts® titles, Rifts®: Heroes of Humanity™ and Rifts® The Disavowed™. About half of each book is present in this “Raw” Preview Edition. Artwork, more text, more stats, more weapons and gear to be added to both titles. The Coalition Briefing™ “Raw” Preview is a super limited edition (our hardcover books are usually printed in quantities of 300-600 copies, sometimes more) and a rare chance to see part of the “raw” manuscripts for two upcoming Rifts® books before they go through final edit and layout.

Note: Read the Purchaser’s Covenant! By purchasing this book, you agree not to post its contents online. We want people to enjoy the final books. No spoilers!

Emperor Prosek’s call to arms.

The psychological effects of the Minion War and demonic invasion.

Fighting demons and supernatural monsters.

Details about the CS.

New CS mecha and gear, including the Black Widow Spider-Skull Walker.

The Disavowed, their leader, and their purpose.

Reprisal Teams.

A life of secrets.

Targets of the Coalition.

Using outsiders and the Vanguard’s role.

New CS O.C.C.s, adventure ideas and more.

Written by Kevin Siembieda and Matthew Clements.

Only 67 copies remain available. Sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

NEW! Fantasy Old Ones™ Mouse Pad

Full color mouse pad that looks dynamic on any desk. This is the powerful art depicting a Minotaur and Old One from the cover of the Old Ones™ Fantasy Sourcebook. The claw-like tentacles in the background is an Old One rising. Be afraid.

NEW! Zombie Graveyard Mouse Pad

Full color mouse pad that looks dynamic on any desk. This one is a zombie rising from a graveyard to stalk the living. It is from the cover to the Dead Reign® Sourcebook: Graveyard Earth™. Are you a survivor?

NEW! Living the Fantasy T-Shirt – available now

Celebrate the Palladium Fantasy RPG® with the red and black image from the original RPG that gave Palladium its start. This is a favorite of Kevin Siembieda. The slogan, “Living the Fantasy” comes from fan and freelance writer, Travis Guerrero. Art by Kevin Siembieda.

NEW! Rifts® 25 Years, The Adventure Continues T-Shirt – available now

We wanted an image that said Rifts® and more adventures to come. This Ramon Perez artwork captures that nicely. And we love the grin on that Headhunter and the sparkle in his eyes that seems to say, “Oh yeah, there are adventures to come.” Art by Ramon K. Perez.

NEW! 2015 Open House Dragon T-Shirt – Available now.

This was not Kevin’s idea. In fact, he felt a bit embarrassed by it, but people loved it. This commemorative 2015 Open House T-shirt is perfect for those of you who attended the event as well as those of you who were there with us in spirit. It features the infamous Kevin Siembieda signature dragon that graces thousands of books around the world with his signature; complete with Kevin’s signature and the words, “2015 Open House.” It seemed especially appropriate to us if this was, indeed, the last Open House. This shirt is not likely to be reprinted, so available only while supplies last. Art by Kevin Siembieda.

NEWish! Robotech® Dice Bag – Available now

People have enjoyed the Rifts® dice bag for years, so we thought we’d do one for Robotech®. The Robotech® Dice Bag debuted at AdeptiCon and went over very well. Now it is available in the Palladium store for everyone. This is just one tiny thing we’ve been working on behind the scenes for Robotech®. More to come.

BACK IN PRINT: Rifts® and the Megaverse® – John Zeleznik Collector's Masterwork Limited Edition

Kevin pulled this amazing offer out of mothballs for the Open House and immediately sold a few copies. This is the most unbelievable deal we have ever heard of. In fact, we don't think anybody has EVER done anything like this before, and it's all John Zeleznik's idea.

Each copy of the Collector's Masterwork Limited Edition includes an original piece of artwork by John Zeleznik! Most are concept sketches tipped (glued) into the book itself, by hand, done personally by Kevin Siembieda. That's right, YOU will have an original sketch/drawing/concept artwork from one of John Zeleznik's paintings or illustrations that appears in this very book!

"I've never heard of anything like this,” said Publisher, Kevin Siembieda. "It's remarkable. A true collectible with a piece of original art and Palladium history all rolled into one. This is a deal of a lifetime, NOW more than ever before, because the $125 dollar price is the same low price when this item was first offered back in 2007! Today, this book would sell for $175-$200. Each piece of art has to be worth $50-$100, and is a piece of Palladium history. John Zeleznik is such a great guy, he wants us to keep the price low so Palladium fans can afford one. How cool is that?”

Fewer than 60 remain available.

Limited to 199 copies. Each is signed and numbered.

Signed by renowned artist John Zeleznik and writer/Publisher Kevin Siembieda.

EACH contains a piece of original art by John Zeleznik. Usually a concept sketch from John's private archives.

The book is identical to the regular hardcover edition. It is the original artwork and being signed and numbered that makes it special.

$125.00 each, plus shipping and handling. Must be shipped UPS or insured so it can be shipped quickly and via a method that is safe and traceable. If lost in the mail, this item can not be replaced.

NEW! Palladium Fantasy RPG® Sourcebook: Bizantium and the Northern Islands™ – Available now

To the civilized world, Bizantium and the waters and lands around it are frightening. A realm of sea serpents, monsters, and barbarians. To the heroes and people who live there, it is a realm of adventure, beauty and opportunity. One might consider Bizantium as the center of adventure and mystery in the North.

North of Bizantium are the Icy Ocean and Great Ice Shelf, places where only a handful of the bravest Bizantian sailors have ever set sail, and the rest of the world knows nothing about. For kingdoms in the south, only a few scholars have ever heard of the Great Ice Shelf or the cannibalistic Necromancers known as the Iceborn who make the frozen wasteland their home. Those who have heard tales of the land of ice and death are convinced they are nothing but the stuff of myth. Very soon, they will find out otherwise. And these are but a few of the revelations presented in Bizantium and the Northern Islands™. Discover for yourself the wonders and horrors that await.

Waterchanter O.C.C. and 20+ magic spells new to the Fantasy setting.

Necromancy revisited. Many spells new to the Fantasy setting.

90+ spells in all, including Ocean Magic for the Waterchanter, Necromancy and more.

Serpent Chaser, Bizantium Marine and other new character classes.

The Iceborn, their man-eating Raiders, Skinbinders and Sea Witches. A forgotten race of monsters who worship death, wield death magic, hunt humanoids, eat their flesh, and wear their skin. A villain you will love to hate.

The Iceborn’s Necroilus – massive vessels made from the remains of dead sea serpents and animated by Necromancy to prowl the seas.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™

– Available now in the USA, Canada, European Union, Australia and New Zealand

If you love Robotech®, you’ll want to take a look at this game. Beautifully detailed game pieces of your favorite Robotech® mecha, and fast playing rules that capture the Robotech® experience in a new, exciting way. And this is just the beginning. We have so much more planned. Available NOW – in game stores across the USA, Canada, UK, European Union, Australia and New Zealand.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ "Starter Box" – Cat. No. 55100 – $99.95 retail price. This is the game Robotech® fans have wanted for decades. Robotech® RPG Tactics™ is a fast-paced, tabletop combat game that captures the action and adventure of the Robotech® anime. Two or more players can engage in small squad skirmishes or scale up to massive battles. Relive the clashes of the First Robotech War, engage in stand-alone tactical games, or use the dynamic game pieces to enhance your Robotech® RPG experience. Or simply collect your favorite mecha from an expanding range of top-notch game pieces.

The First Six Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Expansion Packs are available to retail along with the main box game. Here are the SKUs and retail prices.

Robotech® RPG Tactics™ Rulebook – Cat. No. 55105 – $20.00 retail. Note: This is the same rulebook that is included in the main game box, and is offered separately for those who want an extra copy, or want to check out the rules before buying the whole game.

COMING – Rifts® Chaos Earth® Resurrection™

In the shattered depths of Wisconsin, survivors are besieged by the dead come back to life. Zombies. But not just any type of zombie, zombies done Rifts-style. And unless the source of the zombie plague can be found and neutralized by NEMA defenders, North America may be overrun by the dead.

This was actually something Taylor White and I have been kicking around for years, even before we released the Dead Reign® RPG line. We think you’ll love it.

Something has animated the dead in Wisconsin. It is up to NEMA heroes to find the cause and stop it before it spreads beyond control.

The events unfolding in World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames threaten to change the entire landscape of Rifts® Earth as the demonic minions of Hades and Dyval seek to bring Hell on Earth, and turn the planet into a dimensional gateway to Armageddon!

The Coalition States, along with Northern Gun and Lazlo, take the lead in the defense of North America. Heroes of Humanity explores the good and bad in the Coalition’s efforts to save humanity and send this new threat back to the pits of Hell.

New Coalition weapons, armor and war machines.

The Coalition States: Are they heroes or villains? Or does it depend on whether you are human or not?

Can the CS fight alongside mages and D-Bees if it means saving the world?

COMING – Rifts® Secrets of the Coalition States: The Disavowed™

“Desperate times require desperate measures. War has nothing to do with morality or justice. It’s all about winning or dying. We cannot bind our hands with high ideals, even our own, or worry about the laws of renegade nations or the rights of alien people. We must fight fire with fire. And you are the match.” – Colonel Lyboc addressing a Disavowed team

The Disavowed are so Top Secret that their existence is known only to a handful of the Coalition States’ most elite, top echelon, with Joseph Prosek II the mastermind behind the Disavowed operation, and Colonel Lyboc its shadowy face. Find out who these men and women are. How the Disavowed get away with using magic, traveling to other parts of Rifts Earth and even to other dimensions in pursuit of enemies and strategic information that cannot be had through conventional means. Learn about the secret parameters in which these hard-boiled warriors, secretly hand-picked by Joseph Prosek II, operate, why almost every mission is considered a suicide mission, and why they must forever be the Disavowed.

CS operatives so secret that even the top military and political leaders right up to Emperor Prosek know nothing about them. And if they did know, would they condone their activity or condemn it?

Are the Disavowed heroes or renegades? Assassins or soldiers? Madmen or super-patriots? Or a little of them all?

Unsung heroes who keep the CS safe, or thugs and pawns of a shadow agency within the Coalition government?

What role does the Vanguard play in this group?

How do they reward their D-Bee “teammates” when the mission is over?

What happens to the Disavowed when they have seen or learned too much? Adventure ideas galore and so much more.

COMING – Rifts® Secrets of the Atlanteans™

True Atlanteans are descendants from Earth’s past. The survivors of the sinking of Atlantis (really a dimensional mishap) and travelers of the Megaverse, wielders of Tattoo Magic and other lost mystic arts. Most people regard them as heroes, but are they? The Sunaj Assassins are mythic villains feared by all, yet they too are True Atlanteans who serve dark forces.

For the first time, much of the story behind True Atlanteans and their secrets are revealed.

True Atlanteans revisited.

Optional Atlantean character creation tables including clan heritage and other factors.

Secrets of the stone pyramids, different types/purposes and powers.

Many new magic tattoos, magic spells, weapons and armor.

Atlantean hideouts and secret communities across the Megaverse.

The Sunaj Assassins, their secrets, history and plans for the future.

Atlantean Monster Hunter O.C.C., Atlantean Defender O.C.C. and much more. And this is just the tip of what this book contains.

COMING – Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook: First Responders

The Great Cataclysm has devastated civilization, but humanity fights for survival. The struggles of civilian law enforcement, fire and rescue, and everyday men and women are some of the most epic tales to be told in a world gone to hell. They fight monsters, aliens, the paranormal, the elements, and each other, all with the hope of reclaiming their lives from the Chaos.

Rise of Magic™ – Rifts® Chaos Earth® Sourcebook – Now shipping

We’ve all played “post” apocalyptic games. Now imagine playing as the apocalypse is happening. As the world you know is crumbling. As magic and monsters from myth become real and your world is reshaped by forces beyond your comprehension. That is the premise behind the Rifts® Chaos Earth® series. That YOU play through the Great Cataclysm as the apocalypse happens.

Rifts® Chaos Earth®: Rise of Magic™ is a key book in that continuing story (new books are coming this Spring and Summer). In Rise of Magic™, humans, particularly children, are discovering they can draw upon mystic energy and cast magic. The thing is, they don’t really know what they are doing. Magic is just part of the chaos and the impossible that is happening all around them. Meanwhile, others have found they can summon and control monsters and demons, while still others make pacts with supernatural beings to become witches and worse. And some have learned they can harness the magic to animate and command the dead. Madness and more chaos ensues. All of this only complicates things for NEMA, Earth’s defenders, as the line of distinction between “good guys” and “bad guys” begins to blur, and things go from bad to worse.

Rifts® Chaos Earth® RPG – Available now

The origins of Rifts® start here! It is a new beginning. But first everything that human civilization had become during the Golden Age of Science, more than eighty years in our future, must come to a crashing end. The Earth is in the process of being transformed into a place more alien than a thousand alien worlds. Ley lines erupt with even more power and ambient energy than what is known on Rifts Earth 300 years later. Rifts – tears in space and time – appear along ley lines to unleash legions of aliens, monsters, dragons, supernatural horrors, and ancient gods of myth and legend in a mad symphony of chaos and transformation.

You play survivors or the heroes of NEMA. The men and women of the Northern Eagle Military Alliance equipped with their Chromium Guardsmen (Glitter Boys), Silver Eagles (SAMAS) and host of other robots and power armor to stand against a rising tide of enemies and alien invaders. They are humanity’s last and only hope to survive the apocalypse that will become known as the Great Cataclysm. These are the heroes you play in a world that can only be described as Chaos Earth.

Overview of the Great Cataclysm as it unfolds.

Introduction to NEMA and its weapons and resources.

11 different character classes, including robot pilots, the Para-Arcane, Demon and Witch Hunters, Chromium Guardsmen, Silver Eagles, and more.

Back in print – Rifts® World Book 21: Splynn Dimensional Market™

This awesome sourcebook is, in effect, Rifts® Atlantis Part Two. It is said that anything you may desire – especially if it is dark, magical or alien – can be purchased, for a price, at the Splynn Dimensional Market. Anything. ‘Nuff said.

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 100 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com, as well as Fantasy Paper Miniatures, Game Master resources and other good things with more to come. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include: